Trousers



o. A. GULKE TROUSERS Filed June 15, 1934 INVENTOR. 6 222 62.

fi z NEY Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED srrss PATENT OFFlC TROUSERS V Application June 15, 1934, Serial No. 730,746

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in trousers and has for its object the provision of a pair of trousers which will be neat in appearance, adjustable for comfort and of economical construction.

a pair of trousers constructed in accordance with this invention, and

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the waist lineopened and having parts thereof broken away to disclose the details of construction.

The trousers chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention are, except for the features which comprise the invention, of standard construction. The'legs of the trousers are of two pieces with vertical seams extending along the inside and outside thereof and when sewed together they provide a Waist band which is divided in quarters.

As shown in the drawing, the trousers have a vertical slit to at each side which divides the waist band of the trousers into what will be hereinafter referred to asa front portion l l and a back portion i2. The front portion H has a fly l3 and in this respect it is of standard construction. At each side of the front portion ii there is a rearwardly extending inside flap M which is'adapted to underlie the'adjacent vertical slit 10-. The front portion I l also has suitable belt loops l5 and front pockets Hi. The pockets it are disposed at an angle of approximately of a half revolution from the vertical seam at the sides of the trousers and a belt loop i5 is secured at the top of each'pocket. The latter belt loops 55 are located in line with the top of the pockets 15 and in this position they serve, in conjunction with the pocket structure, to support the front portion ll of the trousers and prevent a sagging at the slits H].

The back portion I2 of the trousers has two ing the back portion l2 of the trousers.

belt forming extensions H which, together with a buckle or other fastening means 58, serve to support the trousers when properly adjusted. It is known that belt like extensions have been attached to the front and back portions of trousers 5 for adjustability but, in so far as the applicant is aware, it has been necessary, in order to prevent sagging, to either sew an elastic gusset in the slits or provide a separate buckle at each side of the trousers. It is also known that trousers 10 have been made with a Wide hem about the back portion through which a belt may be passed, but it is believed that the applicant is the first to provide a pair of trousers with a belt forming member sewed directly into and around the entire :5 back portion of the trousers and having adjustable overlapping portions at the sides thereof which, in conjunction with projecting ends of the belt forming member, will produce trousers that are adjustable at the waist line by means 0 of a single fastening means to hold the front and back portions of the trousers. in their proper position upon the body of the wearer without the use of elastic gussets. a

As shown in Figure 2 of the drawing the inven- 25 tion, in its simplest and most inexpensive form, consists in sewing a non-stretchable or reinforcing 'fabric [9 directly to and completely around the back portion of the trousers and affixing to theends of the fabric H3, belt forming exten 30. sions H which may be passed through the belt loops is and secured together by the buckle it. As shown the fabricof the trousers, designated by the numeral 20, is folded over the top of the reinforcing fabric l9, as at 2 I, and is sewed 35 thereto around the entire back of the trousers. 'A waist band lining 22 is then sewed to the inside of the back portion of the trousers as is now the standard practice. The belt forming extensions ll are shown as sewed to the ends of the reinforc- 4D ing fabric l9 and will preferably be made of the same material from which the trousers are cut. Ifdesired, these belt forming'extensions l'i may be of a different colored fabric or of leather.

, In another variation of the invention it is contemplat ed that the belt forming extensions I I may be cut as an integral part of the fabric form- 7 If this is done the reinforcing fabric l may be continued completely around to the ends of the belt forming extensions 11. In this event the fabric of the trousers will be sewed around the extending ends of. the reinforcing fabric I9 so as to enclose the same and present a finished belt like appearance.

An important feature of the present invention is that the slits are disposed in line with the side seams and extend downwardly there along to a point substantially at the widest part of the hips. This permits the waist band to be let out and drawn in without wrinkling the front or back/portions of the trousers and provides for a perfect fit throughout a range of adjustment of as much as four (4) inches in the Waist measurement of the trousers. With trousers constructed in this manner the clothier, by stocking trousers with a normal thirty two (32) inches waist line, can fit customers with a waist measurement of from thirty (30) inches to thirty four (34) inches without making any tailored. alterations at the waist band of the trousers.

The belt forming member or reinforcing fabric 19 can be of any non-stretchable material. In practice it has been found that canvas, such as is used by tailors in building up the collars of coats and the waist bands of trousers, is well suited to this purpose. When such a fabric is used the back portion of the trousers will fit snugly against the body of the wearer and present a smooth and neat appearance. The belt forming or reinforcing fabric is need not be in a continuous strip which extends completely around the hack portion i2 of the trousers. It may be in two separate pieces, one being secured to each back quarter of the trousers, so that when the back seam of the trousers is stitched the two pieces will be sewed together as one piece by the same operation.

In factory or ready made trousers it is the custom to leave the legs sufficiently long and unfinished so that they can be conveniently out to the proper length at the time of a sale. This is a comparatively simple operation and does not require any great tailoring skill. If the waist line has to be altered, which is frequently the case, the services of a good tailer will be required and as a result the alteration will be both time consuming and expensive. However, when the trousers are constructed in accordance with this invention the waist band can be adjusted to the wearer without this expensive and time consuming alteration. Therefore, since it is the custom, as suggested above, to finish the waist band of the trousers at the factory and leave the length of the trousers unfinished until the time of sale, it will be seen that the present invention, by providing an adjustable waist band, overcomes the most annoying feature in the selling of ready made trousers.

In addition to providing the above advantages, the trousers present a neat and nobby appearance and consequently the invention is well adapted to ready made sport trousers of all types.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose my invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific means disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and it is desired to claim it so that all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of manufacture, comprising a pair of trousers having an opening extending down each side thereof from the waistline and terminating at substantially the widest point of the hips and forming at the waist of the trousers adjustably related front and back portions, belt forming members secured to the back portion at the sides thereof and extending around the front portion of the trousers, a rearwardly extending flap at each side of the front portion of the trousers adapted to underlie the sides of the rear portion of the trousers, and forwardly inclined pockets extending upwardly from points along the side seams below said openings to a point upon the waistline in front of said openings.

2. An article of manufacture, comprising a pair of trousers having an opening extending down each side thereof from the waistline and terminating at substantially the widest point of the hips and forming at the Waist of the trousers adjustably related front and back portions, belt forming members secured to the back portion at the sides thereof and extending around the front portion of the trousers, a rearwardly extending fiap at each side of the front portion of the trousers adapted to underlie the sides of the rear portion of the trousers, forwardly inclined pockets extending upwardly from points along the side seams below said openings to a point along the waistline in front of said openings, and a belt loop upon the front portion of the trousers substantially in line with the top of each of said pockets through which the projecting ends of said belt forming members may pass, whereby the size of the waistband of the trousers may be adjusted without wrinkling the trousers.

3. An article of manufacture, comprising a pair of trousers having openings extending down the sides thereof and terminating a substantial distance below the belt line to form at the waist of the trousers adjustably related front and back portions, an inclined front pocket extending upwardly from the side seams and at a slight forward angle to each of said openings and terminating at the belt line of the trousers, belt forming members secured at the sides of the back portion of the trousers and projecting around the front portion of the trousers, a rearwardly extending flap at each side of the front portion of the trousers adapted to underlie the openings at the sides thereof, a belt loop upon the front portion of the trousers in line with the top of each of said pockets through which the projecting ends of said belt forming members may pass, and a fastening means at the ends of said belt forming members, whereby the size of the waist band may be adjusted without wrinkling the trousers.

OTTO A. GULKE. 

